1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector, particularly to a configuration in which midway-insertion of a signal terminal disposed in a lever section of the lever fitting-type connector is prevented.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as an electric automobile, hybrid car, or the like, in which a high-voltage high-power battery is mounted, in order to secure an operator's safety, a power circuit cutoff device is mounted such that the battery is assembled to a vehicle or a maintenance operation is performed in a state in which a power circuit is manually cut off in order to secure the operator's safety. The power circuit cutoff device is configured to include, for example, a lever fitting-type connector in which a lever for operating insertion into and removal from a plug housing that is provided with an electrode (fixing electrode) is disposed, and a vehicle-side connector in which the lever fitting-type connector is fitted. The lever fitting-type connector employs a configuration in which a pair of electrodes (male electrodes) and a fuse disposed between the pair of electrodes are provided in the plug housing, and a lever cylinder provided with a signal terminal is disposed on a side of the lever. In comparison, the vehicle-side connector includes a vehicle-side housing in which electrodes (female electrodes), in which the pair of electrodes (male electrodes) of the lever fitting-type connector are fitted, respectively, are disposed, and a fitting-detecting female connector formed to project from the vehicle-side housing. In such a configuration, horizontal movement of the lever allows the signal terminal in the lever cylinder to be fitted in the female electrodes in the fitting-detecting female connector.
As the power circuit cutoff device employing the configuration, there have been lever fitting-type connectors disclosed in PTL 1 and PTL 2. In the lever fitting-type connector disclosed in PTL 1 and PTL 2, a guide groove 3 extending in an elongating direction of the lever 1, and a rotation hole communicating with the guide groove 3 at the end of the guide groove 3, are formed on each of the sides of a lever 1. In the plug housing 8, a pair of boss portions (guide pins) 9 are formed to project outward from outer walls of the plug housing 8, and a pair of hemispherical protrusions (locking protrusions) 10 having a substantially hemispherical shape are provided to protrude from the plug housing. Particularly, the boss portions (guide pins) 9 have a substantially ellipsoidal shape with both vertical ends of a circular cylindrical shape cut out. In other words, a portion having a width of great dimensions and a portion having a width of small dimensions are formed. Also, the boss portions (guide pins) 9 engage with the guide grooves 3 of the lever 1, respectively.
According to the configuration, the lever 1 is inserted in the vehicle-side connector in a state (upright state) in which rotation of the lever is not performed with respect to the plug housing 8, then, as illustrated in FIG. 22, the lever 1 is pushed in a Y direction, and the lever 1 is caused to slide to a predetermined locking position after the lever 1 is in a state (prone state) of being parallel to the Y direction with the boss portions (guide pins) 9 as a rotational axis. In such a configuration, the pushing-in operation (sliding operation) allows the lever fitting-type connector to be fitted in the vehicle-side connector and electrical connection is performed with a signal terminal 15 in a lever cylinder 2 engaging with the female electrode in the fitting-detecting female connector (not illustrated), and attachment of the lever fitting-type connector is notified (detected).
PTL 1 is JP-A-2003-100385, and PTL 2 is JP-A-2012-59554.